Is Antonio Conte 1 Player Short of His Own MSN or BBC at Chelsea?

STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON — It’s four games and four victories for Antonio Conte. He couldn’t have hoped for a better start to life as Chelsea manager.

The Blues made it back-to-back home wins in the Premier League for the first time since April 2015 on Saturday, comfortably defeating Burnley 3-0. The win puts them top of the table, albeit their position there over the international break is dependent on results going their way 24 hours later.

The dominance of the performance was a sign of the changes Conte has already implemented at Stamford Bridge. His opposite number, Sean Dyche, observed a different use of the full-backs and wingers at Chelsea these days, but there’s also a renewed desire to succeed. This Chelsea team is the antithesis of the one that failed so miserably last season.

Chelsea look tough opponents again, and their performances in these early days of the new campaign have been largely down to Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. We shouldn’t forget the contribution of N’Golo Kante in his defensive-midfield role, but it’s what the aforementioned pair have created in the final third that has got Chelsea going. Without them, draws don’t become victories.

Of the seven goals Conte’s side have scored in the Premier League this season, Hazard and Costa have four, sharing two apiece. That tally is in stark contrast to their failures last term. For Hazard, it wasn’t until April that he could boast two league goals, while it took Costa until mid-October.

When Chelsea ran away with the title in 2014/15, that pair allowed Jose Mourinho’s side to do it. That they are looking back to that sort of level under Conte is a considerable boost for the new manager’s own aspirations, yet he knows Chelsea need something extra to make them stand out from the rest.

“Eden is a fantastic player and, like the others, is working very hard with a great attitude,” the boss said of the Belgian playmaker, having watched him score the game’s opening goal against Burnley. “After the first day, I saw this very soon—his will to improve and to find a good shape. I am pleased for his commitment and his work rate during our training sessions, but he can still get better.”

Hazard and Costa link up again and are denied by Heaton yet again. Game could easily be 6-0. 60′ #CFC

— Chelsea News App (@CFCNewsApp) August 27, 2016

Had luck been on his side, Costa would have been walking away with the match ball. Twice he was denied by good saves from Tom Heaton, while some last-ditch …

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